Helen Devos has a special place in our hearts. We have always known of them but never dreamed we would need them but when we did they were there.

My wife and I were so excited as we showed up to the hospital for our first child. We had the c-section all planned out and before we knew it our bundle of joy would be here to make us new parents. For months we have been waiting for this moment. Not only to meet our baby or see who has been right or wrong these months leading up to this day. Since day one I said boy and Heather said girl. Today is the day our big surprise, we never dreamed it would of turned into the surprise of events ahead. 

Everything was progressing well for the most part. We weren’t quite where the doctor wanted us to be at so now was the time to induce labor. No big worry we knew this was  a possibility. Then things weren’t progressing as they were hoping either and sudden heart rate changes elevated concerns. This is the moment, with no notice it is time for an emergency c-section. We had been told meconium was present but not to worry this will be handled during the procedure. To the operating room we go. Things are going good and Heather is a saint through this all. The moment has come HE is here!! We both cry with excitement to find out we have a son!! Immediately with big smiles on our faces we proclaim his name Colten Jase!! 

The doctors continue the operation form the c-section while Colten is moved into the other part of the room. I gleam with pride and joy as i get to cut the umbilical cord but then things begin to change as they are constantly working on removing the meconium from his lungs. Pump after pump they are pulling tubes of meconium out of him. We are moved to a recovery room and our baby boy is moved to a nursery a floor below us. Not knowing what is going on or where our baby is the doctor meets with us in recovery and explains what is going on. By this time our loved ones have made it to the hospital where we share our excitement and tears of fear. Finally we are able to go see our baby boy. Things don’t seem right though as we get there. We see him on oxygen and more tubes and machines around him then you would care to see as a new parent. We spend some time with him in the nursery as the nurses continue to tend to him. They finally push us to our room for the night and continue to update us throughout the night. Around 2 in the morning the doctor on staff takes a slow stroll into our room. Our hearts sink of fear demanding to know what is going on or happened. He fills us in and tells us the meconium is worse than they anticipated and when Colten was born he came out crying so the meconium had made it to his lungs which has created a pneumonia in his lungs. We are given our options but one of them consists of transporting to Helen devos for further treatment. Without hesitation we elect this route. 

With so much uncertainty we are quickly greeted by the well trained transport team from Helen Devos. With such care and poise they bring Colten into our room on the transport bed with many wires attached to him in an incubated area on the bed so Heather can see him one more time before he is transported. I leave the hospital leaving Heather behind and drive to Helen devos awaiting the ambulance to arrive with Colten. We are quickly ushered into the operating room he would be spending several weeks in. I sat in a chair in awe as I watch my newly born son rolled into this room and one doctor and 20 nurses all having a job working like a well oiled machine taking such tender care of our baby. All with a job to do and all executing to perfection without hindering one another. After what seemed like an eternity Colten has been fully transferred over and in his bed with so many monitors and wires hooked up to him and they have begun the first step of eliminating this meconium and getting his lungs healed. The doctor comes over and introduces himself and lays out the plan. All while I am trying to communicate with my wife through calls and texts to keep her informed. 

The next day comes around and Heather has been released with restrictions to come join me at Helen Devos. Things don’t progress as they wanted to see so we are given our final option. To put Colten on ecmo which essentially is a machine that allows them to bypass his heart and lungs while it does all the work for him to allow him to rest and heal. We agree and they begin the procedure to get him on ecmo. Everything goes smooth and we are allowed in to see him again. Our baby boy laying there hooked up to many wires, tubes and monitors. We are informed they anticipate him to be on ecmo for approximately 2 weeks. Well Tank had other plans. Tank was his nickname on the icu floor as he was a stout baby boy born at 10 pounds even. He was much larger than the premies they were used to on the floor so some of his nurses nicknamed him Tank. A nickname that will always stick. Well after one week he was ready to attempt to come off ecmo and he kicked it on his second attempt!! 

Then became the road to recovery afterwards. What seemed like months was weeks of recovery and learning to feed. With great help from the staff and doctors our day had finally came to come home. After 29 days in the hospital from birth we were finally able to come home and begin our life as a family!! 

Without the love and care from the staff and the resources Helen devos has none of this would of been possible. This is the reason this marathon means so much to us. As first time parents that quickly relied on this amazing hospital we will forever be grateful for the life they have given us.